I am 37 years old and working on my nursing prereq's. I am hoping to actually start the BSN program in the fall. This is a complete career change for me (I currently only have an AAS degree). I picked nursing for several reasons; helping people, having a field that has a lot of possibilities, job security, interesting/learning something new, using my mind, having a skill, marketable, feeling of bettering someone life, etc... After being on this site, now I am doubting some of those reasons. So my question is if you had to do it all over again would you still pick nursing? Why, why not? What would you pick if answer was no...
This thread is scaring me as well! According to many of you, nursing is not what I thought it was! : /
Hopefully you will contemplate long and hard about what you really want in life because no, nursing is not what people think it is at all. People think they're going into nursing to help people and that you're actually going to be doing that and that's all. Ha! Well they don't tell you that you're going to be expected to treat people like an inanimate object on an assembly line while still convincing them that their comfort and happiness is of utmost importance to you. Someone is going to be monitoring how long you spend with each patient and it better be quick because God Forbid if you don't get all that charting and teaching done because that's actually MORE important to the administration of the hospital, to the health department and JCHO than actually hands on taking care of the patient! Responsibility for High Press Ganey scores (so the hospital receives their reimbursement from Medicare) will almost solely be placed on YOUR/nursing's shoulders and you'll be expected to come through for the hospital no matter what adverse conditions you have to work in, short staffing conditions or what ever. And like another poster stated, you'll literally and figuratively work your butt off at all times. There will be times when you will work a 12 hr shift and your butt will barely touch the seat of a chair, everytime you think you're going to sit down, no you're not, you're going to go and give a scheduled medication, or a pain medication or start another round of hourly rounding or answer that call light. They'll monitor everything you do but strangely fail to notice when they see you didn't get any 15 minute breaks or in some cases even a lunch or dinner break in a whole shift. Lets not forget too, they'll fully expect you to come to work even when you're sick. Call off policies at "health care" institutions are probably worst than other places that aren't even pretending to care about people's health! You'll find out that although, ill people are their bread and butter, they have little empathy or sympathy for YOU when you're down and out and ill and they could care less if you feel like you're on your death bed. Nursing schools will pound into you about critical thinking and tell you constantly you're going to be a professional and then when you get "out there" you find out they treat you like anything but a professional. Be prepared to be treated like a kinder gartener in many cases and have next to no autonomy. They're even scripting exactly what they want you to say to your patient's these days, so you don't even have the slightest autonomy to demonstrate even your own personality bend. They want us to be all the same, like drones or a form of socialism (come to think of it, there's really no difference/recognition if you're a diploma, associate degree or BSN like I am, we're all treated the same!). So if you like being your own thinker and having your own personality and way of doing things, nursing probably will not be for you. It's only going to get worst, this is just the beginning. I m afraid that there won't be any nurses when I'm old and need one, because if the profession gets a lot worst than it is now, which I suspect it will, I don't know if there will be enough masochistic people around to do the job and hence who will take care of the next generation of elderly people?
I'm not sure, I'm surprised that so many nurses are quickly to say "yes I would" I have been a nurse for 2 almost two years and I believe any and I mean any field of nursing is extremely stressful and most managers/patients dont appreciate you.
At first I used to love nursing and this changed when I joined all nurses. Judging from what ive read, it seems to me that most nurses here hate their job or hate being a nurse. The stupid comments are affecting me, i am kind of scared to face reality lol.
It isn't that we hate nursing but the system has just beat most of us down. When I went into nursing most of my intentions were altruistic, I had these illusions that I was going to be "helping" people but having never worked in the health care field at all, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. While I was in nursing school and doing my clinicals, I would take note of the cynical attitudes a lot of nurses seemed to have and I would think to myself "why would any one go into this as a career if they don't really enjoy working with people?" but as a mere student I wasn't privy to ALL of the workings of the hospital and their "real" patient load, responsibilities and usual day's work/responsibilities. If I had known all this, 1) I would have understood why they acted the way they did and the reasons for their attitudes a little more and 2) would have possibly ran, not walked from this line of work?
I'm not going to tell you do or do not continue with your goal but, if you pursue your degree be sure it's exactly what you want to do. In today's world a BSN is expensive and like almost every other degree path out there, the market is saturated. Nursing school in itself is tough. Add to that the job market is brutal and once you do land a job it may be hundreds of miles away. You may get lucky and start someplace that has good training and a helpful environment. Or you could go to work and realize that you were hired to be a warm body and are expected to be able to function at close to 100% from the start. And new grads do not function anywhere close to 100%.
Read through the threads on here. The stress can be overwhelming (and sometimes "overwhelming" just doesn't convey the magnitude of it). If you don't have thick skin, you will.
Read the section for "first year after graduation". The first year can be nightmare inducing and at times it feels like you're just shifting into survival mode to make it through the day. Some days, however are not so bad and at the end of it you feel like you really have slain Goliath.
The money is decent but, as a new grad it's just numbers to me. It pays the bills but, at present doesn't add enjoyment to my life. Many days I come home and have a real meal for the first time all day. A lot of days I wake up with my jaw clenching so much that it hurts and I come home with a knot between my shoulder blades that feels like a six penny nail was hammered there. A large percentage of nurses leave the profession in the fist year and still more before five years. I read somewhere (can't remember where and have no further documentation) that 11% of nurses are clinically depressed.It does affect your health but, if you have a solid support system around you and are able to persevere with an exercise and relaxation regimen it would help greatly.
As to those who say that there are many areas of nursing to pursue remember that almost all of those "other" areas require 1 to 2 to sometimes 5 years of clinical experience.
Sorry, it's been a very long past two week stint and I've rambled. I don't want to dissuade you and your goals because I know nurses who really do love what they do and several who volunteer for extra shifts whenever the opportunity arises but, be forewarned, this is not TV. This is a business and nurses do not call the shots.
Wow, your answer was very eloquently stated. Such a true picture of what it's really like.
No. I went into nursing so excited to help people and make a difference in the world. Well reality hit and its sucks. The first year was full of sleepless nights worrying did I make a mistake or miss something that will end up killing a patient. I feel like I went into nursing a normal person and it has given me uncontrollable stress and anxiety.
After a year it got better. I lost my tunnel vision and some of the anxiety. That is when Istarted to see just how badly we were being treated by management. Chronic under staffing, lack of lift equipment, benefits that left a lot to be desired and micromanagement. I never have time to get to know my patients. I'm now thinking about leaving nursing completely.
I would do it over again a thousand times. Nursing is a second college career and career career for me. The worst day on my hectic unit is always better than the best day I had as a desk jockey in Corporate America. As a nurse, I'm stressed and tired but I know that my work is meaningful and useful, and that I truly earn every penny I make. Nursing makes me feel fulfilled like nothing else in life ever has.
Just wondering how long you've actually been doing nursing?
I would. It's not glamorous, most of the time it's downright frustrating, but I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing. I love working 3 nights a week, and I am currently doing a travel assignment that has brought me to my personal paradise, paying me double my home rate and putting me up in a condo. I don't particularly "love" what I'm doing (med surg/tele) but I can do it for 12 hours and spend the other 4 days a week hanging out with my family. When I feel like I'm dreading going into work, I just really need an attitude adjustment. The beauty of nursing is when you get burned out you can try to find a different area to experience. If you really want to be a nurse, go for it.
Wow, the responses have been mixed at best. I am currently in law enforcement so I have a good idea of shift work, just o.k pay. I think the one idea I have found on reading AN is it is a JOB. There is great things and there is horrible things about nursing. Which is true of every profession. Cops also never get a real break, always eating between calls, putting your life in danger for people who are ungrateful and uncaring. Always getting the donut jokes, and writing tickets to people on their way to work, etc...but there were great times at my job as well. I am ready to move onto another phase of my life. The job shadowing I have done at an area hospital have been great. The nurses tell me the good and bad, but mostly good. I love the constant learning and all the interesting things and procedures going on. I can really appreciate both the good and bad and I appreciate everyone taking the time to tell my THEIR nursing story. It is always great to hear all aspects and perspectives of nursing. I am unsure of my decision at this time. I am moving forward with working on my prereq's right now and hopeful that things come together for me. Thanks for all the comments they have been insightful to say the least.
I would have become a nurse. I fear telling my husband b/c he is so happy with the extra money coming in so I just pretend I am okay but I am not. I wanted wish this career on anyone.
Sure I would. Its not perfect, but its a good job and I like it. I have a good manager and alot of great co-workers. Mostly, I enjoy my patients, and even though most nights I bust my behind - I only do it three nights a week. The other four are all mine. Unless I want some OT - one OT shift a month EASILY takes care of my car payment...with a little left over.
When I don't like it anymore, I'll find something else to do. Wouldn't be the first time!
yes, but i'm still relatively new. i graduated in august and started on my floor (med/surg oncology) in october. i'm 31...i was a lab tech for six years and then i went through an absn program.
i have never had a job that is so completely physically and mentally overwhelming. i know part of it is probably because i'm new, and so i have to learn all the little tricks and idiosyncrasies of nursing and of my floor, but it's still hard!!! i wake myself up in the middle of the night (or day, depending on the shift) thinking about work. time flies by when i'm there. i feel like there's just not ever enough time to get everything done. and i'm there for 12 hours!!
[color=#333333][color=#333333]i do like most of the people i work with. they are awesome, and helpful, and nice. i love the patients. i had another nurse tell me that a family of a patient i had taken care of was asking about me and when they found out that i was working that night they were super happy because "that nurse that we like" was going to take care of their mom. i like that. i like getting people all cleaned up and tucked in and taken care of and happy. i like the fact that the majority of the patients i've had tell me thank you for taking such good care of them, i just like the people. and it's funny, because i thought that i had had enough of customer service jobs forever, but it turns out that's what i'm good at. not that that's all that nursing is, but people-handling experience sure helps with nursing.
i do not like the stupid staffing rules. they don't make sense to me. why would you send a nurse home and make everyone have six or seven patients when you could have had an amazing day with everyone having four or five? is saving a little money that important? i do not like my floor. i had a resident tell me that the load that we as nurses carry on our floor is harder than other floors that she's been on. the turnover on my floor is huge...a nurse told me the other night that 18 nurses have quit since 2010. 18!
so that's it. i simultaneously love and hate my job. it's harder than anything i've ever done in my life, but it also makes me feel more proud of what i do than anything i've ever done.
DixieRedHead, ASN, RN
638 Posts
Not a chance. I would be a cop. I would make a wonderful cop.